PhD Position in Human Heat Stress Management

Empa invites applications for a 3-year doctoral research position focused on human heat stress management across various application domains including buildings, sports, and occupational safety. Working within an interdisciplinary environment in St. Gallen, the successful candidate will develop, adapt, and validate experimental and computational methods to evaluate thermal safety and comfort. The project involves conducting tests with thermal manikins, environmental sensors, and climatic facilities while collaborating closely with academic and industrial partners. The awarded PhD degree will be conferred by ETH Zürich under the supervision of Prof. René Rossi.

• Develop, adapt, and validate experimental and computational methodologies for assessing human heat stress and evaluating mitigation solutions.
• Plan and execute controlled experiments utilizing thermal manikins, environmental sensors, physiological measurement tools, and climatic test facilities.
• Analyze and interpret complex experimental and physiological datasets to build predictive models of human thermal responses.
• Disseminate research outcomes through peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, technical reports, and project meetings.
• Contribute to the formulation of future national and international research grant proposals and collaborative partnerships.